Short answers to life's unanswered questions!
My CIMA tutor wanted answers to what he termed as "life's unanswered questions". He belongs to a Buddhist family but according to him he is still searching for the Truth. He asked me these questions when I had a chat with him a couple of weeks ago. We were able to prayerfully draft short answers to his questions. Our aim was to answer using relevant passages from the Holy Bible with only a few comments here and there. I will be handing him this document this week. Since I thought that it would help someone else too, I decided to post it on the blog.
1. How is God like?
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:24)
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
(Genesis 1:27)
It is very difficult to understand about God with our human minds. But if you look into the Holy Bible you can find the qualities and attributes of God. Knowing God is mostly through our experiences of His dealings in our lives and not by head knowledge.
2. Where is heaven?
“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
(2 Corinthians 12:2-4)
The first heaven is the Earth's atmosphere:
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."
(Genesis 1:20 )
The second heaven is the vast expanse of the physical universe; outer space, as we call it:
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:"
(Genesis 1:14 )
These two heavens constitute a continuum called the "firmament" and this firmament is collectively called "Heaven":
"And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
(Genesis 1:8 )
The Third Heaven is above this higher "Sea" and this higher sea is before and below the Throne of God:
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
(Revelation 4:6 )
Therefore, this particular "Sea" above the firmament is above the known physical universe. Since the sun, moon and stars are "in" the firmament this "Sea" MUST be above them. This is difficult for the science of man to fathom, but it is a Scriptural fact on cosmology. It represents a firm and impassable barrier between the world of man (below) and the abode of God (above). Here, again, are some verses in the Bible which refer to this particular Sea:
"Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that [be] above the heavens."
(Psalms 148:4 )
"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so."
(Genesis 1:6-7 )
3. Can heaven hold 6 billion people?
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
(John 14:2,3)
Jesus Christ is going to prepare a place for us among the mansions in heaven. Heaven already holds billions of angels and there is no reason why it can’t hold billions of people. The outer space itself is so vast and man is today discovering new galaxies. Hence, why shouldn’t heaven not hold billions?
4. How do we look like in heaven?
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True story - A changed life
Two weeks ago I was praying for the gospel tract distribution ministry and I felt I was led by the Holy Spirit of God to specifically pray for those who have received a gospel tract at some point of time. My prayer was that they would be able to locate that tract that very day and be able to read it and be saved. That was a Wednesday and the local church gathers for a time of prayer on Wednesday evenings. During the prayer meeting another brother too prayed a similar prayer and I was convinced that the burden I had earlier that day was indeed from God. The next day when I called my mother she had a wonderful testimony to relate. There is a young girl at my mother's place to help my mother and sister. She is from a Hindu background. Initially she showed an interest to know the Holy Bible. A sister from the local church too met with her to teach her some Bible lessons. However it did not progress any further. But we have been praying for her salvation, that she should come to know the true and living God. That very Wednesday she had had a great desire to pray and since she didn't know how to pray she had found a tract that we had given her and prayed a prayer found in that tract. The gospel tract that she read is found online and you can access it by clicking the flowing links.
PDF version of Four Spiritual Laws
Flash version of Four Spiritual Law
HTML version of Four Spiritual Laws
For your convenience, here is the prayer that she made that day.
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
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